First impressions can be tough, but they are absolutely crucial for retaining customers. The eyecare industry is competitive, and one of the number one ways your business can gain an edge is by taking your customer service to the next level. Focusing on your team's efforts on offering a world-class experience is one of the greatest ways your business can differentiate itself from the competition; including online competitors. You'll want to get creative about how you can go the extra mile to show your customers that you value their business. The process below will help you take your customer service from good to great:

1. Adopt a service mindset amongst your team

Adopting a service mindset amongst your team will greatly improve your customers’ experience. Having a service mindset is all about going beyond simply providing a service or a product. The goal is to leave a lasting impression by creating a wonderful customer experience. Building a service mindset within your team includes more than just valuing your customers though. Your business will also have to show appreciation to your staff through rewards, words of encouragement, and incentives for their dedication to a service mindset. 

Along with rewarding your team for adopting a service mindset, your business will also want to include customer service training into your onboarding process and offer opportunities to learn more about how to be a better customer service representative throughout their employment with your company. When you implement these educational opportunities, you may want to consider these service mindset tools:

• Emotional intelligence: Team members with a well-rounded service mindset will make your customer feel important. Their interactions will feel personal, and the customer will walk away feeling as though their issues were taken seriously. This will result in the customer feeling connected to your business, and more likely to become a repeat customer.
• Asking questions: A major key for providing stellar customer service is asking the customer the right questions. Asking questions that are tailored to your customer’s unique needs will help them feel understood while also allowing you to better meet their needs.
• Creating purpose: It is essential for your business to create a clear purpose within your team. You can do this by setting goals that your staff can work toward as a team. It is also important to explain how your team’s work affects the customer. In the eyecare industry, great customer service can mean helping a customer overcome insecurities. Having that sense of purpose will keep your team motivated to continually improve their service mindset.
• Knowing your products inside and out: Part of being able to provide top-tier customer service is having an in-depth knowledge about your products and services. Carrying independent brands, such as the ones in Villa Eyewear’s collection, will help you know your product better because the origin is traceable. When your team has access to this information you are able to educate your customers about quality materials, and what makes their glasses valuable.

The service mindset will also differentiate your business from the competition. Customers will remember their positive experiences with your brand and be more likely to return. They will also be more likely to become brand ambassadors who generate your business more loyal customers through positive word of mouth.

2. Improve your customer experience with consistent feedback

The only way for your business to understand the customer experience is to measure it through feedback. One way to measure customer satisfaction is through Net Promoter Scores (NPS). Your business can discover its NPS by running surveys asking customers how likely they are to recommend your brand to a friend or colleague. Based on the responses customers will fall into one of three categories:

• Promoters: Customers who respond with a 9 or 10. These are happy customers who will help generate passive leads through word of mouth.
• Passive: Customers who respond with a 7 or 8. These are satisfied customers who may return, but will most likely not generate your business passive leads.
• Detractors: Customers who respond between 0 to 6. These are unhappy customers who are unlikely to return, and may even detract from your business.

After your respondents are segmented, your NPS is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters. For example, if your business has 10% detractors and 60% promoters, your NPS would be 50%.

If you have a NPS below 0 that means your customers experience is probably detracting from your business, and you should invest in creating more positive customer experiences. An NPS score between 0-20 is considered “favorable.” This means that customer experiences aren’t taking away from your business, but also are not bringing in a lot of new customers via word of mouth. Any score above 20 can be confident that customers will bring in new customers through recommendations. Scores above 70 are the types of businesses that create first-class experiences that keep customers coming back for years because the service is unmatched.

Measuring your customers' experience can help you identify what aspects of your customer service are already working and which areas might need improvement. It will also give you a better idea of how effective your sales funnel is at replenishing itself with positive word of mouth and return customers. 

3. Engage with loyal customers through marketing

Oftentimes businesses will overlook the importance of continuing communication with past customers. Even after a customer has converted, it is essential to consistently market your brand in order to stay top of mind. One example of this would be by sending out a monthly newsletter to previous customers. Make sure these newsletters include content that creates value for your audience. In addition to newsletters, your business can post engaging content on social media and blogs.

Another strategy is making the most out of customer relationship software. Your business can set up reminder messages to past customers to make sure your brand is never forgotten. Infuse your brand in every step of the customer journey to make your business even more memorable.

4. Reward your loyal customers and promoters

Finally your business will want to reward customers who show their loyalty to your brand. Rewards can and do build customer loyalty through incentives. Some strategies your brand can consider including in your rewards program:

• Offer a discount to high spending customers
• Create a loyalty card program
• Invite loyal customers to preview new products
• Reward referrals
• Create a points system where customers can earn rewards through spending
• Offer bonuses for leaving reviews

In a competitive industry, like ours, loyalty goes a long way. Your customer service can differentiate you from the competition. Your commitment to understanding your customers through feedback will set you on a path of consistent growth. Building loyalty through marketing and rewards programs will keep your brand at the top of your customers’ minds. All of these strategies will set you apart.

Looking for a new collection for your office?
Contact Villa Eyewear to find more lines that will help you make the best impression with your customers.

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